The present invention relates to a locking arrangement for locking the mobility of a first element which is movably mounted in a first direction, by means of a second element which is movably mounted in a second direction transversely with respect to the first direction, in particular in the form of a parking lock arrangement for a vehicle transmission, wherein the first element has a toothed contour with at least two teeth and a tooth gap which lies between them, wherein the tooth gap has a tooth gap length in the first direction, wherein the second element has a projection which has, in the first direction, a projection length which is shorter than the tooth gap length, wherein the projection can be introduced into the tooth gap when there is a movement in the second direction, in order to lock the first element, wherein the teeth each have a face which points towards the second element and has a first contour, and wherein the projection has a face which points towards the first element and has a second contour, wherein the first and second contours are matched to one another in such a way that the projection is deflected by the teeth from becoming inserted into the tooth gap if the first element moves at a speed which is higher than a predetermined locking speed and lower than a maximum speed of the first element.
In automatic vehicle transmissions, all the gear speeds are disengaged when the vehicle is parked. In such transmissions, the vehicle is generally prevented from rolling away by a parking lock mechanism, irrespective of the activation of the handbrake. The parking lock mechanism generally has a parking lock wheel with toothing, which wheel is secured to an output shaft of the vehicle transmission. In addition, the parking lock mechanism generally has a pawl which is mounted fixed to the housing and can be introduced into the toothing of the parking lock wheel manually or by means of an actuator in order to lock the output shaft of the transmission against rotation (thus preventing the vehicle from rolling away).
Such parking locks are generally configured in such a way that the pawl can engage even at a low relative speed. This can ensure reliable engagement of the parking lock mechanism even if the parking lock mechanism is activated at a time at which the pawl and a tooth lie directly opposite one another.
On the other hand, the parking lock mechanisms are configured in such a way that at relatively high rotational speeds the pawl cannot block the parking lock wheel even if the pawl is actively operated. This is because this would possibly result in immediate destruction of the parking lock mechanism or of the vehicle transmission.
At such relatively high rotational speeds and when the parking lock is, for example, inadvertently activated the pawl “ratchets” over the toothing. In such a case the pawl is deflected from the toothing owing to the geometries which are selected.
It is problematic here that the components involved are subjected to high mechanical stress when this “ratcheting” occurs.
DE 10 2004 021 981 A1 discloses that a chamfer is provided at the base of the locking pawl. This is intended to ensure that at relatively high velocities of the vehicle (for example higher than 10 km per hour) the locking pawl is deflected over the flattened chamfer in the base of the locking pawl. This is intended to reduce the loading of the components which are involved.
Document DE 199 43 519 A1 also discloses securing a parking lock mechanism electronically. Here, an actuating element is permitted to engage a parking lock mechanism only as a function of certain parameters, for example if the speed of the vehicle is below a certain limiting value.
Document DE 103 10 977 A1 discloses a parking lock mechanism in which a parking lock toothing is provided on an axial front side of a gearwheel which is permanently connected to the transmission output shaft.